Piano-bridge.



No. 662,52l. Patented Nov. 27, I900.

J. H. BUTLER PIANO BRIDGE.

(Application filed. July 12, 1900.)

(No Model.)

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and secure the bridge to the sounding-board bridge only.

QLWFICE.

PIANQ EWUG SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 662,521, dated November 27, 1900.

Application filed July 12, 1900. Serial No. 23,303. (No model.)

To all whom it may cancer/t:

Be itknown that 1, JAMES H. BUTLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Columbia Heights, in the county of Cool; and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Piano-Bridges, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in sounding-board bridges for pianofortes; and it consists in certain peculiarities of the construction, novel arrangement, and operation of the parts thereof, as will be hereinafter more fully set forth and specifically claimed.

The object of myinvention is to so construct producing legs or extensions 1) for bearings against the sounding-board. As shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings, the extensions b of the bridge-niece B are located so as to lie directly opposite the ribs a on the rear surface of the sounding-board. About midway between the ribs (L the board A is provided with openings a, through which are passed screws 0, which engage the bridge-piece B at about the middle of each of the recesses Z) therein. These screws are passed through curved or arched pieces t], which are located transversely with respect to the bridge-piece and in parallelism with and between the ribs a on the sounding-board and have their ends bearing against the same at either side of the bridgepiece. 5y reference to the drawings it will be seen that the screws 0 pass freely through the board A and firmly secure the bridge on tie board, so that it has a front and rear pressure.

By coiiistructing and securing the bridge to the board as above described it is apparent that the board will have a very considerable as to strengthen and brace the former and at the same time to beneficiallyaffect the vibrating qualities of the latter, so as to produce notes of more resonance and greater volume and purity than has heretofore been accomplished.

in order to enable others skilled in the art to which my invention pertains to make and use the same, I will now proceed to describe it, referring to the accompanying drawings, part of its area alive or free underneath the in which bridge, which will permit of reciprocatory Figure 1 is a face view of a sounding-board of a pianoforte with my improved bridge secured thereto. Fig. 2 is an enlarged view, partly in section and partly in elevation,taken on line 2 2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction indicated by the arrows; and Fig. is an enlarged sectional View taken on line 3 3 of Fig. der the I) in the bridge-piece and be- 1, also looking in the direction indicated by tween the ends of the curved or arched pieces the arrows. C will have nothing to impede or prevent Similar letters refer to like parts throughtheir vibration, as the screws pass through out the different views of the drawings. said portions without contacting therewith.

A. represents the souudingboard, on the iiavin hue fully described my invention, rear surface of which are diagonally located what I claim as new, and desire to secure by a slight distance apart a number of ribs (1, Letters Patent, iswhich may be secured to the board by any 1. The combination with a sounding-board suitable means. 011 the front surface of the having a number of openings, of a bridgesounding-board is located the bass-bridge i5 piece located on one surface thereof and havand the treble-bridge 13, both of which are ing a number of recesses in its portion adshown as embodying my invention; but as jacent to the said board, a number of curved the same principle is involved in each conor arched pieces located on the surface of the struction I will hereinafter refer to the treblesoinuling-imard opposite the bridge-piece,

This bridge is formed of suitable material, having an irregular shape, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, and is provided on its surface adjacent to the soundingboard with a series of curved recesses b, thus movements of the tones or sounds through the wood of the sounding-board, thereby producing notes of more resonance and greater volume.

it is apparent that by the use of my invention those portions of the board directly unand screws connecting the curved pieces and the bridgepicce and passing freely through the said openings in the soundingboard, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a sounding-board cated on the opposite side of the sonndingboard and having a series of recesses in its portion adjacent 10 said board, a number of curved or arched pieces located between the said ribs and transversely with respect to the bridge-piece, and screws connecting the curved pieces and the bridge-piece and passing freely through the sounding-board, sub stantially as described.

JAMES H. BUTLER. Witnesses:

R. H. BUTLER, R0131: MUENZNER. 

